Harvest, Alabama - April 27 2011 - Rain-Wrapped Multi-Vortex EF5 Tornado Edge

What I thought was a great thunderstorm was the leading edge of a multi-vortex EF5 tornado on the ground and headed in my direction. After hearing how large it was, how fast it was moving, and how random it's path was I turned around and headed for safety. It passed around me and destroyed 36 houses, a gas station and supermarket. Just minutes prior, this wedge tornado was 1/4 mile wide but when it reached this neighborhood it went down to 300 yards and spun off into multi-vortexes.

7/28/11 Update: I'm pleased to have donated parts of this video to Flatsafe, makers of in-ground tornado shelters. See the completed videos and hear the amazing story of how a family was saved by their shelter that was purchased just *20* days prior to this storm on their channel - http://www.youtube.com/user/Flatsafe

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Harvest
• Alabama
• tornado
• EF5
• 4/27/11
• Anderson
• Hills
• Texaco
• Piggly
• Wiggly

[Kgivans2]

NOAA finally reviewed the data from this tornado, At it's strongest point it was 1.25 miles wide. An EF5 with 210mph winds. It was on the ground for 132 miles.

[boomtasticracing]

@Kgivans2 You are correct. This has been verified and changed. Thanks for bringing this to my attention!

[blackops1348]

@gravyman1965 this missed my house by 500 feet and i got a lot of friends that i know that got there house torn up o and there is about noting left but torn up houses in my neighborhood.

[Yamaha519VX]

I was doing this half the day when I was storm chasing. It wasn't so much storm chasing that day as it was storm chasing me.

[gravyman1965]

Missed my home by 1/2 mile.